After a 101-day hiatus, there’s finally a glimmer of hope for the entertainment industry. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood’s top studios and streamers are poised to return to the negotiating table on Friday, August 11, marking a crucial step in the ongoing battle to resolve the writers’ strike that has brought much of the industry to a standstill.
The announcement of the resumption of formal negotiations came on August 10, nearly a week after an exploratory meeting between the two parties on August 4. It’s a development that carries the potential to end the crippling strike, but there’s still a challenging road ahead.
In a message to its members, the WGA revealed that Carol Lombardini, the president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), has called for the WGA Negotiating Committee to meet with AMPTP negotiators. The WGA is hopeful that the AMPTP will provide responses to their proposals. The committee, well-prepared to negotiate a fair deal, draws strength from the unwavering support of the unified WGA membership and the backing of their fellow union allies.
“DEAR MEMBERS,
Carol Lombardini has asked the WGA Negotiating Committee to meet with AMPTP negotiators on Friday. We expect the AMPTP to provide responses to WGA proposals.
Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies.
We will get back to you.
IN SOLIDARITY,
WGA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE”
REELated:
The road to this point hasn’t been without its share of drama. Rumors of a potential meeting between the two parties circulated for days before the WGA confirmed that Lombardini had reached out to discuss negotiations.
However, the initial meeting on August 4 was tempered by a lengthy memo from the WGA to its members on August 3, cautioning them that entertainment companies might not be ready to make significant concessions. The WGA’s negotiating committee, in this memo, challenged the studios and AMPTP to approach the meeting with a fresh mindset, emphasizing the need for a fair deal and the importance of repairing the damage caused to workers in the industry by the strike and related business practices.
The AMPTP, in response, issued a terse press statement, characterizing the union’s rhetoric as “unfortunate.” They stressed that the strike has taken a toll on thousands of industry professionals and that their focus remains on getting people back to work.
This writers’ strike has had far-reaching consequences, effectively halting unionized, scripted production in the U.S. and impacting projects such as Deadpool 3 and Gladiator 2. Additionally, the strike has caused delays in the production of major films and television series, including Marvel’s highly anticipated Blade and Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things.
The involvement of the performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and IATSE, which joined the picket lines on July 14, further underscores the solidarity among industry workers in the face of these challenges.
